USA Today Bestseller
“It is a truth universally acknowledged that the young lady everyone assumes is mousy has uncharted depths… particularly when there’s a scientific sister, an aphrodisiac, and the stepbrother of a duke around. Creative, unique, and racy –this story is not unlike the very elixir around which it is based.”–Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things Times bestselling author of Small Great Things and A Spark of Light
Continuing her bestselling Rogue Files series, Sophie Jordan brews up a scintillating romance about a timid wallflower who discovers a love potion and ends up falling for a dashing rogue.
A love potion…
Charlotte Langley has always been the prudent middle sister, so her family is not surprised when she makes the safe choice and agrees to wed her childhood sweetheart. But when she finds herself under the weather and drinks a “healing” tonic, the potion provokes the most maddening desire…for someone other than her betrothed.
With the power…
Kingston’s rakehell ways are going to destroy him and he’s vowed to change. His stepbrother’s remote estate is just the place for a reformed rogue to hide. The last thing he wants is to be surrounded by society, but when he gets stuck alone with a wallflower who is already betrothed… and she astonishes him with a fiery kiss, he forgets all about hiding.
To alter two destinies.
Although Charlotte appears meek, Kingston soon discovers there’s a vixen inside, yearning to break free. Unable to forget their illicit moment of passion, Kingston vows to relive the encounter, but Charlotte has sworn it will never happen again—no matter how earth-shattering it was. But will a devilish rogue tempt her to risk everything for a chance at true love?
more
The Virgin and the Rogue, written by Sophie Jordan is a wonderful book. Kingston and Charlotte’s romance brought steamy to the table in this story. Sophie Jordan, can definitely write romance between two characters. There was not one dull moment to be read. The dialogue chosen, helped make the book easy to read.
This allowed the reader to focus more on the romance of the story. Page after page, the book brought excitement, shock and a little naughtiness to the readers imagination. The story begins with Kingston escaping the bad memories of how his father had treated Kingston’s mother. He goes to his brother’s house. Charlotte, who unbeknownst to her has fallen victim to her sister tonic.
Leaving Charlotte doing things that no lady should be doing. Poor Kingston, he doesn’t think so though. Anyway, Kingston quickly sees that there’s an attraction there, but for Charlotte, it took a little convincing. The book had exciting tryst near ponds, in the kitchen and the family library at midnight. There are angry sons.
Loving sisters and a sister that you would need to keep an eye on, when she makes you something to drink. There are loathing parents and one mother you could strangle. And a poor dining room table asking, what has it done to cause such abuse. My fellow readers, I recommend this book. Until next time… read on!
I voluntary reviewed this ARC after receiving a free gifted copy.
Sophie Jordan set the pages of The Virgin And The Rogue, book 6 of the Rogue Files series, on fire the moment Charlotte accosted Kingston. She could blame her sister’s so-called love potion, but she cannot deny her true feelings for Kingston. Their romance is sexy and deliciously hot! Sophie Jordan’s cast of characters with quirky personalities in The Virgin And The Rogue has gotten me laughing or cheering them on. A delightful read.
The whole forbidden romance aspect of “The Virgin and the Rogue” really did it for me with this one. I was expecting something overly cheesy, overused, and played out yet I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked Charlie and Samuel’s relationship and intense connection they shared alongside the oh so hot steamy moments they had throughout the entire series.
Like typical romances, of course drama ensues when Charlotte tries to fight off her attraction with the rake when it’s revealed she betrothed to a childhood friend but that all changes in an instant when she takes a elixir created by her sister that will forever change the course of their relationship forever. This is the perfect combination for any reader looking for romance, steamy moments, opposites attract forbidden historical romance.
This book was crazy pants, as promised. Love potion stories could have a bit of squick to them with consent…but Sophie Jordan handled it well.
Charlotte Langley is not exciting, and she knows and accepts that. She is engaged to her equally unexciting childhood sweetheart. Then she meets Kingston, her sister’s rogue brother in law, and everything goes topsy turvy.
I’m generally a read in order girl, but hadn’t yet read the book before this in The Rogue Files. I didn’t really feel lost (I know there were things I didn’t know, but was ok), and the previous book was not spoiled.
This was a perfect pandemic escape. It gets a sparkly 4.5 stars
This was a very fun and interesting read. First you have a wallflower heroine who has agreed to marry her childhood friend, future in law who is unbearable, a hero who is a rake but tired of his life, sisters who only want our heroine to be happy, a brother in law who is determined to keep his family safe and happy…. All in a country estate. It’s a very engaging read. I was drawn in from the first sentence and eager to see how it would end. I honestly couldn’t decide how the author would handle the ending. I laughed, I sighed, and I kept turning pages or swiping as I read this on my eReader. Fans of well written characters and fun historical romances will enjoy The Virgin and the Rogue. This is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone. I have not read any other books in the series and did not feel lost. A great read.
I was reading this book in public, and several times I laughed out loud and then had to look around to see if anyone was observing me. The interactions between Charlotte and her sister Nora are just not to be missed. They are to be savored. Charlotte has her life well planned, even if it’s a little boring. She has a guy to marry and her childhood home to go back to. Then her sister gives her a tonic on the night Kingston arrives. Kingston is hiding in the one place he thinks he will be unwanted and where no one will look for him. What he finds instead is excitement. These two could not seem any more different, yet they are what save each other. This is a hilarious story from start to finish that I will definitely read again.
This story is a hoot and everything I’ve come to expect from Ms Jordan. Unique sub characters bring unique plot twists. I’ve read a few in this series but it’s been a while and I didn’t read the last book. ( In which I plan on rectifying!)
Kingston, sadly, was my least favorite character. I don’t think we really got into his head so he seemed very one dimensional.
Charlotte and Nora totally stole the show and carry the story to the next level. I can’t wait to read the next installment which Nora’s story.
The ONLY thing I didn’t like was the ending seemed abrupt.
I would also like to add that I also got an audio copy from cloudLibrary on release day and the narrator is very good.
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Virgin and the Rogue by Sophie Jordan is the 6th book in The Rogue Files series & is a supremely sexy romance featuring an unassuming heroine, an aphrodisiac & a rogue in hiding. This is a thrilling and topsy-turvy ride that is a humorous as it is sexy.
Lady Charlotte has agreed to marry her childhood friend, despite the fact that his mother dislikes her. She is the practical middle sister who rarely does anything unexpected. But things change once she takes one of her younger sister’s remedies.
Nora gives Charlotte a concoction Nora has developed to help her sister’s menstrual cramps. However, things don’t go as planned and the potions lights a fire inside of Charlotte who doesn’t understand what is happening to her.
This is especially true when Charlotte comes across an attractive man in the hallway who cause the fire within to rage. In one of the sexiest scenes that I’ve read in a while, Charlotte tries desperately to sate the burning by kissing the man senseless.
The man fully cooperates. He at some point realizes that Charlotte is in the grips of something, but he does his best to help soothe her by providing her with an explosive orgasm. Kingston is as fully invested in the encounter as Charlotte.
Charlotte and the man (who is her brother-in-law’s step-brother Kingston) start quite a conflagration that leaves Charlotte reeling, almost as if she isn’t quite sure what has happened. Later, she learns about Kingston who has come to the estate to hide.
Kingston is illegitimate and has learned that his mother is dying. He is a fascinating character who seems so alone and unsure of his place in life. He and his step-brother do not get along well; her certainly isn’t considered a possible match for Charlotte.
I loved watching Charlotte try to come to terms with her feelings for him, both the emotional & physical ones. She wants to blame the aphrodisiac, although Kingston isn’t inclined to let her do so. He, of course, wants to prove that the feelings are real.
Nora, Charlotte’s sister, was hilarious. She truly tried to make a potion to help her sister’s cramps. But when she realized what had happened, of course Nora wanted to study the effects. Nora even makes another batch of the potion because she must know.
I am very much looking forward to Nora’s HEA. That one is sure to be a hoot and a half.
Throughout The Virgin and The Rogue Charlotte finds her inner strength and learns to go after what she wants rather than what is expected of her. And Kingston – he’s kind of a mess, but one who needs Charlotte’s love and support so badly.
I could not put The Virgin and The Rogue down when I started it. It is one of the romances that starts with a bang (literally???) and keeps you hooked. And, of course, I already mentioned how sexy it is. This might be a perfect quarantine read!
Let’s get it out of the way, shall we? The cover. Is. HOT. I had an e-version, so I don’t know if there’s a step-back, but if there is, you’ll probably need a cold shower afterwards. Ok. now that’s out of my system, here we go…
I did not like the title of this book. It was way too spot on, especially since the others in the series have such great names. Plus, it just gave the book a creeper-type feel right from the get-go.
I am happy to say that poor title choice aside, it was a fun book. The love potion premise was new, and Charlotte’s extreme reaction bordered on NC-17, but overall the story was enjoyable. Not the best in the series, but still a strong entry. The characters were fun and interesting, and I enjoyed seeing the growth in both Charlotte and Kingston. And as one would assume from the cover, the love scenes were incendiary.
Overall, a nice quick read with lots of bodice ripping – or more to the point, waistcoat ripping – and romance. Definitely worth the read.
This book was interesting because there was a love potion plot but not what you would usually imagine. Charlotte, the heroine, is staying with her sister and takes something for cramps but her sister adds an aphrodisiac. It leads to Charlotte embracing a sensual part of her personality with the hero Kingston. The characters are well written and their love story is very engaging. It’s not the typical story and Sophie Jordan has a way to move the plot in unexpected ways. Both characters address their pasts and grow together in a way that moves you. It was a fun story to read.
The Virgin and the Rogue by Sophie Jordan is book 6 in The Rogue Files Series. This is the story of Samuel Kingston and Charlotte Langley ‘Charlie’. I have read the previous books so that added to my enjoyment of this book, but I did feel you could make this a standalone book if you wish to do so. Charlotte lives with her sisters and brother-in-law. Charlotte’s younger sister works with herbals to help with health issues. So when Charlotte has issue with cramps she goes to her sister for help. But this time her sister tries something new which turns out to be a aphrodisiac. Kingston is Charlotte’s brother-in-law’s stepbrother who has turned up to stay a few days. Kingston doesn’t really get along with his step-brother but just wanted a place to rest and get his thoughts together. Kingston was once a very popular man with the ladies but has since stop has he no longer seems to have the stomach for his past life. Charlotte ends up getting up in the night because of the tonic her sister gave her and happens to meet Kingston. Passion takes over for her and she throws herself at him. By the light of day she tries to brush it off because she has her life planned out to be married to her friend who like her wants a quiet life but Kingston can’t forget the passion that they share nor the feelings he has for her. Enjoyed this book and loved the cover!
I felt that the love potion plot made for a topsy-turvy romance book, one that was very enjoyable and easy to read. It’s mostly in the heroine’s voice, as she untangles what her feelings are, which are due to the love potion, and why she’s never known her true self before.
The Virgin and The Rogue was cute, sweet and dirty. I enjoyed these characters, Kingston and Charlotte and their journey quite a lot. I loved watching Charlotte move from meek to bold as well as watching Kingston being undone by her, falling in love with her. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to reading the previous books as well as the next book in the series. I definitely recommend it.
Copy provided by publisher through Edelweiss
A fun story of a dutiful virgin, Charlotte, who sheds her inhibitions to find her love Samuel. I look forward to Nora’s story! I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.
3.25 Stars
Charlotte Langley has always been the prudent middle sister, we met her sister in the previous book, so her family is not surprised when she makes the safe choice and agrees to wed her childhood sweetheart. But when she finds herself under the weather and drinks a “healing” tonic, the potion provokes the most maddening desire…for someone other than her betrothed.
Samuel Kingston’s rakehell ways are going to destroy him and he’s vowed to change. His stepbrother’s remote estate is just the place for a reformed rogue to hide. The last thing he wants is to be surrounded by society, but when he gets stuck alone with a wallflower who is already betrothed… and she astonishes him with a fiery kiss, he forgets all about hiding.
Although Charlotte appears meek, Kinston soon discovers there’s a vixen inside, yearning to break free.
This is the sixth book in the series & it could be read on its own, I thought this was a well written book that did hold my interest all the way & I would recommend it. However I found the characters a little two dimensional & felt that I didn’t get to know them & I liked them but didn’t love them & I’m sure they won’t stay with me for very long. I didn’t feel that Kingston & Charlotte feel in love, they certainly fell in lust. So I’m a bit on the fence with this book
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Starched and proper Charlotte Langley is the safe and rather boring sister and her siblings aren’t surprised to see her engaged to her safe and boring childhood sweetheart. But when her sister makes her a tonic to help with cramps, it instead provokes her to a state of desire she doesn’t know what to do with, especially since her feelings are not directed toward her betrothed.
Kingston has always been a rake, much like his father, but now he’s determined to change his ways. He’s not sure where to take himself to escape society and the best place he can think of is his stepbrother’s remote country estate. He’s rather surprised to find his stepbrother now has a family and is even more shocked to find himself alone and seduced by an engaged female whom he thought to be meek and insipid.
Kingston soon realizes Charlotte has a more passionate nature than even she realizes. He wants more of her, but Charlotte is determined that anything between them was only down to her sister’s tonic, not her actual feelings and Kingston isn’t having it. He just has to determine exactly what he wants and how far he’s willing to get it, along with showing Charlotte what she really wants.
Firstly, this is possibly my favorite cover ever. I’ve rounded my rating up because I liked the hero, but the premise of this book was completely bananas with the weird aphrodisiac and straight-laced, prickly heroine. I did love the fact that Kingston had been celibate for so long before Charlotte and his description of her waking him up so to speak was great. He was really very likable and his story wound up being heartrending and emotional. Charlotte, however, just struck me as being a bit one dimensional, which I suppose matched her description for most of the book. She did grow quite a lot, but I wanted to see her owning her feelings more honestly and for more of the book than she actually did; when she started standing up for herself it just made her seem more unemotional somehow and at a time when she should’ve been growing more and more comfortable with her feelings. It was like her development seized a bit. I would’ve liked to see her open herself up more to Kingston as I felt their relationship was a bit one-sided on his part and similarly, I would’ve liked to see some sort of friendship forming between Kingston and Nathaniel. Overall, I quite liked the illegitimate, reformed rake hero and I liked these two together. I’ll continue with the series and look forward to Nora’s story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Delightful, passionate romance!
Charlotte has resigned herself to marrying Billy, the boy she grew up expecting to marry, and she’s determined not to let the wayward Mr. Kingston change her plans. Especially since he freely admits he’s not husband material. But, as these two spend more and more time together at the estate of his stepbrother, whose wife is Charlotte’s sister, their mutual attraction is obvious to everyone including themselves.
This is a delicate dance between what the heart wants and what propriety demands. Charlotte’s younger sister gives her a dose of what was supposed to relieve her pain but ends up being a strong aphrodisiac, just strong enough to betray Charlotte’s hidden attraction to Samuel, forcing her to question all her plans for her future.
As you can imagine, there’s plenty of steam in this story as both Charlotte and Samuel are led by passion and attraction moreso than decency and decorum. Still, we see substantial personal growth in both that ends with a truly satisfying HEA. It was a lot of fun to read, and I recommend it heartily. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Firstly, how gorgeous is that cover?
Secondly, how hot are those sexytimes? Naughty Sophie.
This bananas book had me smiling throughout and admiring Sophie for making this crazy-sauce plot work.
An accidental love potion was the device that brought milksop Charlotte and reformed rake Kingston together. It was also the means by which Charlotte found herself and lent her the push to make life-changing decisions. Consequently, the aphrodisiac also helped Kingston realize what he wanted in life after wandering from place to place: someone to belong to.
There’s a lot of family involvement, both supportive (Charlotte’s sisters) and heinous (Kingston and Nathaniel’s parents, the Pembrokes). The best is Nora, who almost stole the show. I can’t wait to find out who Sophie will pair her with.
What a wonderful story. It is an unusual plot. Charlotte is engaged to William, they have been friends since childhood. Everyone thought they would marry. She was living at her sister’s house, she had just married a duke. Their father had died and left no way for them to care for themselves. So it was very lucky that Marion, the eldest daughter, found Nathaniel. Charlotte has always been quiet and subdued. So is William. Nat’s stepbrother comes for a very short visit and sees Charlotte and William together, boring. He plans to stay the night. Nora, the youngest, fixes a herbal remedy for that time in a woman’s month for Charlotte. She changed the formula a little and it became something else. Charlotte was all over poor Kingston. But he fell in love with her. But she is still engaged. Talk about twists and turns and complicated.
The characters are wonderful, kind and supportive of each other. It was exciting and had a few surprises. I am so glad I got a chance to read this book. I also highly recommend it.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.
** Maybe 3.5 Stars **
My thoughts about this book were all over the place – from total disbelief to wondering what was going to happen next. I have read three of the six books in this series and each of the books can easily be read as a standalone. While the female lead in this story is the sister of the female lead in the previous story – the male lead is also related to the previous male lead – you don’t need to have read that story to enjoy this one.
Charlotte Langley is the middle sister, the dull one, the uninteresting one, the one who just wants an uneventful, unexciting life. She wants to marry the man she has been friends with since they were children – he is steady, honorable, and … dull. She has convinced herself she is in love with him, but she’s never even kissed him, nor has she had any desire to do so. It never even occurred to her until – THE EVENT.
Samuel Kingston is the natural son of The Earl of Norfolk and a famed courtesan. His life has been a hedonistic one – much like his father’s – until he learns his mother is ill and he visits her. What he sees and learns of her illness turns his stomach and he immediately loses interest in his former lifestyle. He’s searching for something, but he doesn’t know exactly what it is. He’s been wandering from place to place for a while now and he finally decides to visit his step-brother. Now, his step-brother has no use for him – nor he for his step-brother – but he’ll stay there for a few days until he decides where to go from there. Except – when he arrives – he finds there is a new wife and her sisters who live there with Nicholas. Kingston is totally unimpressed with the lot of them – especially the middle one who seems like a milksop – and decides to leave the following day.
Nora, Charlotte’s younger sister, is an herbalist (she identifies herself as a scientist), and she mixes up a tonic to alleviate Charlotte’s menstrual cramps. However, she adds in a few new ingredients to see if they will be more effective. Well, it was certainly effective – as an aphrodisiac. Charlotte thought she was dying and headed out of her room in the middle of the night to go to Nora’s room for help. Except she encountered Kingston in the hallway and attacked him – seeking her pleasure on him. Luckily, he was gentleman enough to let her achieve her pleasure without him doing more.
I liked both Charlotte and Kingston, but I would have liked to get to know them a bit better. I failed to see how they could come to a deep and abiding love for each other when they spent almost no time in each other’s company and the time they did spend was of a more carnal nature.
I had to wonder how the Langley family home came to be in the possession and control of Marian who was then giving it to Charlotte. Yes, it meant the most to Charlotte, but – there was a brother. Given the times, why was the family home not under the control of the brother? Yes, he was younger, but still as the only male, and females unable to own property, I have to wonder how that came to be.
There are a few anachronisms in the ARC, but I will assume they will be corrected prior to publication. While the story itself felt a bit more modern in its concept, it had very little modern terminology or ways of speaking, etc.
Overall, I enjoyed the read and the characters. I would have liked to see at least one scene between Nicholas and Kingston where they come to realize that neither is actually who the other thought he was and maybe form a friendship of sorts. That could have just been mentioned in the epilogue and it would have made for a happier ending because Kingston really needed a friend.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.